1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
Brenda Aoki is a young teenager from the West Side.She meets Kali a young attractive Hawaiian boy, and they begin to date. Brenda and Cali are happy in their little world in the Westside with Brenda's family pharmacy and the welcoming doors of Kali's mother's home. 2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when Brenda meets Kali. Kali is the constant driving force for Brenda's actions throughout the play and what leads her to write a reflection of her rocky relationship with him and how it has caused her too truly find herself. 3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor that drives Aoki to narrate her story is how Kali entered, affected, and left her life. Her ties to him eventually sparked a war within herself to either embrace her Asian heritage and roots in the West Side or follow the opportunities provided to her by her intelligence. 4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Brenda embrace her Westside roots and be with Kali or will she take advantage of her opportunities and escape to bigger things? Will her intelligence and opportunities drive a wedge between Brenda and those she loves in the Westside? 5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
Information known to one, is how Brenda feels about exploring opportunities outside of the Westside. While information known to most but not to Brenda, is that Kali reported Smoke to the authorities. Brenda had to learn this from her friend Stacey while everyone back in the Westside already knew. 6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
One of the theatrical moments in the play s when Kali is speeding down the highway. It shows that something is really broken and disconnected inside of himand eventually leads to the end of his relationship with Brenda. Another theatrical moments, is the riot. It illustrates the war inside of Brenda and how she feels about her tie to the Westside and her acceptance into the privileged L.A. crowd Lastly, the shoot out is a theatrical moment because it shows what Brenda could have been if she had stayed in the Westside. She could have easily been shot and killed as well or left a single mother. 7. List some of the themes of the play.
Themes of the play are the search for identity, a war between who one once was and who they are now, and wigging roots and heritage against higher opportunities. 8. What do the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
Brenda ultimately wants to be more than a Westside Mama but her relationship with Kali and her strong connection to the Westside hinder her from coming to terms with who she is able to become. Even her family conflict with her concerning her new ideas once she has moved out. 9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
The tea cup- The tea cup symbolizes the new life Brenda has away from the Westside and the important relationship she has formed with Hai.
The broken teacup- When Kali shatters the teacup it shows how he re-entered Brenda's life and broke the new life she had created and the distance she had put between herself and the Westside. 10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
In the beginning, the Westside is all that Brenda knows and the community becomes a strong support system for her including er actual family and the friends she makes in Kali, Stacey, Smoke and the other Westside Warriors. However, Brenda eventually decides that this family relationship is hindering her from becoming successful so she leaves and cuts ties with her family in the Westside.
Brenda Aoki is a young teenager from the West Side.She meets Kali a young attractive Hawaiian boy, and they begin to date. Brenda and Cali are happy in their little world in the Westside with Brenda's family pharmacy and the welcoming doors of Kali's mother's home.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when Brenda meets Kali. Kali is the constant driving force for Brenda's actions throughout the play and what leads her to write a reflection of her rocky relationship with him and how it has caused her too truly find herself.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor that drives Aoki to narrate her story is how Kali entered, affected, and left her life. Her ties to him eventually sparked a war within herself to either embrace her Asian heritage and roots in the West Side or follow the opportunities provided to her by her intelligence.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Brenda embrace her Westside roots and be with Kali or will she take advantage of her opportunities and escape to bigger things? Will her intelligence and opportunities drive a wedge between Brenda and those she loves in the Westside?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
Information known to one, is how Brenda feels about exploring opportunities outside of the Westside. While information known to most but not to Brenda, is that Kali reported Smoke to the authorities. Brenda had to learn this from her friend Stacey while everyone back in the Westside already knew.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
One of the theatrical moments in the play s when Kali is speeding down the highway. It shows that something is really broken and disconnected inside of himand eventually leads to the end of his relationship with Brenda. Another theatrical moments, is the riot. It illustrates the war inside of Brenda and how she feels about her tie to the Westside and her acceptance into the privileged L.A. crowd Lastly, the shoot out is a theatrical moment because it shows what Brenda could have been if she had stayed in the Westside. She could have easily been shot and killed as well or left a single mother.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Themes of the play are the search for identity, a war between who one once was and who they are now, and wigging roots and heritage against higher opportunities.
8. What do the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
Brenda ultimately wants to be more than a Westside Mama but her relationship with Kali and her strong connection to the Westside hinder her from coming to terms with who she is able to become. Even her family conflict with her concerning her new ideas once she has moved out.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
The tea cup- The tea cup symbolizes the new life Brenda has away from the Westside and the important relationship she has formed with Hai.
The broken teacup- When Kali shatters the teacup it shows how he re-entered Brenda's life and broke the new life she had created and the distance she had put between herself and the Westside.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
In the beginning, the Westside is all that Brenda knows and the community becomes a strong support system for her including er actual family and the friends she makes in Kali, Stacey, Smoke and the other Westside Warriors. However, Brenda eventually decides that this family relationship is hindering her from becoming successful so she leaves and cuts ties with her family in the Westside.